How in the Tech

Find Your BIOS Version Inside Windows

By Adam Myers ⋅ June 9, 2009 ⋅ Tags: Windows

The System BIOS is a boot firmware necessary for all PC that handles the detection and initialization of system devices like the video card, hard drive controller, or other hardware. The BIOS code typically resides on a small flash  chip located on your motherboard with updates likely provided from your vendor. The BIOS is end-user upgradable by a process called flashing. Long time PC users are probably quite familiar with updating the BIOS and may even have horror stories of a flash going wrong – leaving the PC as a beige door stop. BIOS updates are sometimes necessary when new hardware is released, like a CPU model, but generally most people subscribe to the theory of if it ain’t broke don’t fix it even if updates can bring about a performance boost.

So how do you determine your current BIOS version? Easy, just reboot! Most motherboards display the BIOS version on the first screen in the boot process – you’ll have to look quick though as it’s likely only visible for a few seconds. A longer gaze is allowed if you go inside the BIOS; typically by hitting the DEL or F12 key on the first boot screen.

If you don’t wish to restart you can also gather this information from within Windows using two built-in methods.

1. Open the Registry by typing regedit.exe in the Windows Search/Run box.
2. Navigate to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWAR\EDESCRIPTION\System. You’ll see several keys related to the BIOS such as SystemBiosDate and SystemBiosVersion - they hold the information you are looking for.

1. Another method the results in the same information is by using the System Information utility in Windows.
2. In Vista, from the Start menu search for and run System Information. Under XP, you can launch the same utility by executing winmsd from Start and then Run.

Now just be careful with this information!